Paul Collingwood thought his days of taking five-fers had gone – 10 years ago! – until the latest chapter in his renaissance.

Collingwood’s bowling turned around Durham’s opening day of the County Championship season when he started a Somerset collapse.

The Cidermen were happily chugging along at 224-2 until Collingwood struck – five times – to bowl them out for 299.

The only other time he had taken five wickets with a red ball was in 2005.

He said: “I amas surprised as anyone to be standing here talking about getting a five-for on the first day of the season.

“It was an amazing feeling because I hvae only had two in first-class cricket.

“Thankfully, it came at a good time because we were looking down the barrel.

“I am coming up to 39 and I have to be really careful on my lower back, which has been the case for the last few years and pretty much why I only bowled in the one-dayers last year.

“However, the body is feeling pretty strong at the moment.

“I just have to be a little bit careful because I can feel strong and it goes.

“I have to be mindful of how long a season it is.”

Ex-Durham all-rounder Johan Myburg’s 115 had the hosts sitting pretty on a sunny first morning of the Championship season.

Then the clouds rolled in and the batsmen rolled out.

Colly had Myburgh caught at short extra cover from the first ball of his second spell and took wickets in each of his next four overs.

He added: “The boys said ‘another five-fer,’ and I said ‘I think that is my first one.

“Then I realised I might have got one at Stockton (also against Somerset).

“It is a great feeling because it is great to get hundreds and five-fers. Hopefully, I can score some runs now.”

The captain’s second wicket was James Hildreth, who put on 101 with Myburgh for the third wicket.

Collingwood revealed just what a pivotal moment it was.

He said: “I was going to bring myself off after that ball. I am glad I managed to get that wicket then.”

Despite the green tinge to the wicket, batting first looked a no-brainer when Marcus Trescothick got lucky at the toss. Collingwood thought otherwise.

He added: “I was going to have a bowl. You try to give yourself the best chance to get 20 wickets and the grass was pretty live. I thought we bowled pretty well in that first session and did not get the rewards we deserved.

“Sometimes if you keep doing the right things you are rewarded in the end.”

One thing which delayed Durham’s rewards was their habit of dropping catches. Calum MacLeod put two down and Michael Richardson and Scott Borthwick one each.

Collingwood said: “We could be a bit sharper in that area but I am absolutely delighted to bowl them out for under 300 from the position they were in.”

Borthwick and Richardson made amends after wickets kept tumbling.

The pacey Lewis Gregory removed Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings for four between them (all to Stoneman) before an unbroken 85-run stand featuring 12 exquisite Borthwick boundaries.

His captain said: “He is in pretty good nick at the moment,.

“This wicket is a strange one because it has good pace it and if it swings around it feels like it is doing plenty.

“Yet if you just miss your mark by a little bit you can go for runs over the fast outfield.